1. World Trade Project
Student Name

2. My Project Country
United States

3. Introduction
Recognized as a new nation following the Treaty of Paris in 1783
During 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added to the original 13
Economy is marked by steady growth, low unemployment and inflation, and rapid advances in technology

4. Geography
Location – North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico
Total Area – 9,826,630 sq km
Area - Comparative - about half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the size of Africa; about half the size of South America (or slightly larger than Brazil); slightly larger than China; more than twice the size of the European Union

5. Geography
Climate - mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest
Terrain – vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low mountains in east; rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged, volcanic topography in Hawaii
Elevation Extremes
Lowest point: Death Valley -86 m
Highest point: Mount McKinley 6,198 m

6. Geography
Natural Resources - coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber
Natural Hazards – tsunamis; volcanoes; earthquake activity around Pacific Basin; hurricanes along Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts; tornadoes in midwest and southeast; mud slides in California; forest fires in west; flooding; permafrost in northern Alaska
Environment – current issues – air pollution resulting in acid rain in both US and Canada; US is largest single emitter of carbon dioxide from burning of fossil fuels; water pollution from runoff of pesticides and fertilizers; limited natural fresh water resources in much of the western part of the country require careful management; desertification

7. People
Population – 303,824,640
Infant mortality rate (total) – 6.26 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth (total population) – years

8. People
Ethnic groups - white 79.96%, black 12.85%, Asian 4.43%, Amerindian and Alaska native 0.97%, native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander 0.18%, two or more races 1.61%
Religions - Protestant 51.3%, Roman Catholic 23.9%, Mormon 1.7%, other Christian 1.6%, Jewish 1.7%, Buddhist 0.7%, Muslim 0.6%, other or unspecified 2.5%, unaffiliated 12.1%, none 4%
Languages - English 82.1%, Spanish 10.7%, other Indo-European 3.8%, Asian and Pacific island 2.7%, other 0.7%

9. Government
Type - Constitution-based federal republic; strong democratic tradition
Capital – Washington, DC
Administrative divisions – 50 states and 1 district

10. Government Independence - 4 July 1776 (from Great Britain)
Legal system – federal court system based on English common law; each state has its own unique legal system, of which all but one (Louisiana, which is still influenced by the Napoleonic Code) is based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Flag description – 13 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars; the 50 stars represent the 50 states, the 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies; known as Old Glory; the design and colors have been the basis for a number of other flags, including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto Rico

11. Economy Overview
The largest and most technologically powerful economy in the world
Private individuals and business firms make most of the decisions
Federal and state governments buy needed goods and services predominantly in the private marketplace

12. Economy GDP – per capita - $45,800 Labor force – 153.1 million
Labor force – by occupation - farming, forestry, and fishing 0.6%, manufacturing, extraction, transportation, and crafts 22.6%, managerial, professional, and technical 35.5%, sales and office 24.8%, other services 16.5%

13. Economy Unemployment rate – 4.6% Population below poverty line – 12%
Inflation rate – 2.9%

14. Economy Budget revenues - $2.568 trillion
Budget expenditures - $2.73 trillion
Public debt – 60.8%

15. Economy Oil production – 7.46 million bbl/day
Oil consumption – 20.8 million bbl/day
Oil exports – million bbl/day
Oil imports – million bbl/day

16. Economy Exports - $1.148 trillion f.o.b.
Exports commodities - agricultural products (soybeans, fruit, corn) 9.2%, industrial supplies (organic chemicals) 26.8%, capital goods (transistors, aircraft, motor vehicle parts, computers, telecommunications equipment) 49.0%, consumer goods (automobiles, medicines) 15.0%
Exports partners - Canada 21.4%, Mexico 11.7%, China 5.6%, Japan 5.4%, UK 4.3%, Germany 4.3%

17. Economy Imports - $1.968 trillion f.o.b.
Imports commodities - agricultural products 4.9%, industrial supplies 32.9% (crude oil 8.2%), capital goods 30.4% (computers, telecommunications equipment, motor vehicle parts, office machines, electric power machinery), consumer goods 31.8% (automobiles, clothing, medicines, furniture, toys)
Imports partners - China 16.9%, Canada 15.7%, Mexico 10.6%, Japan 7.4%, Germany 4.8%

18. Communications Telephones – main lines in use – 163.2 million
Telephones – mobile cellular – 255 million
Telephone system general assessment – a large, technologically advanced, multipurpose communications system

19. Communications
Radio broadcast stations – AM 4,789, FM 8,961, shortwave 19
Television broadcast stations – 2,218
Internet users – 223 million

20. Transportation Airports – 14,947 Railways (total) – 226,612km
Roadways (total) – 6,430,366km

21. Military
Military branches - US Army, US Navy (includes Marine Corps), US Air Force, US Coast Guard; note - Coast Guard administered in peacetime by the Department of Homeland Security, but in wartime reports to the Department of the Navy
Military service age and obligation - 18 years of age; 17 years of age with written parental consent
Military expenditures – 4.06% of GDP

22. Transnational Issues
The Bahamas and US have not been able to agree on a maritime boundary
US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased from Cuba and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the lease
US has made no territorial claim in Antarctica (but has reserved the right to do so) and does not recognize the claims of any other states

23. Three Good Things Strong democratic tradition
The largest and most technologically powerful economy in the world
Lots of roadways

24. Three Bad Things
Budget expenditures are more than budget revenues (deficit spending)
Consume 20.8 million barrels of oil per day, only produce 7.46 million barrels per day
World’s largest consumer of cocaine